


24 Degrees

by dazubi



Series: 108 Degrees [2]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dazubi/pseuds/dazubi
Summary: The aftermath of 108 Degrees, but Killua's POV this time.It's been a few months since Gon had first asked Killua to kiss him. Killua is struggling to deal with his feelings for Gon as well as understand Gon's motives behind kissing him.
Relationships: Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Series: 108 Degrees [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077299
Comments: 21
Kudos: 120





	24 Degrees

**Author's Note:**

> So. It's been a looooong time, my friends. Over 5 years, in fact. I've been out of the anime scene for a while, but recently have gotten back into it now that I've graduated school and have a steady (non-crazy) job. Which basically means that I've gotten back into rewatching HxH over and over. Go figure.
> 
> I wrote this mostly to warm back up to writing (a 5000 word warmup, apparently). The last time I wrote anything creative at all—fanfiction or otherwise—was actually 108 Degrees, so I figured it'd be nice to write the sequel to get back into it. There were a few people asking for a continuation, and while I'm fairly certain everyone thought the sequel to 108 Degrees would be smut, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. 
> 
> I'm not proud of this work by any means, but again, it was mostly a warm up that I kinda randomly decided to do this morning because I want to get back into writing. I've got a few ideas in my brain that I'm excited to work on, so be on the lookout for those (famous last words...)
> 
> Anyways, enjoy everyone! Please don't kill me too much for the sheer stupidity of the plot (or lack thereof)

Killua was raised to be able to withstand the most extreme environments, whether that meant a body pumped full of electricity, deadly poison coursing through his veins, or regular beatings that left his body bruised and battered. That doesn’t particularly mean he _likes_ any of that, though.

Today is no exception. When he wakes up, his whole body is shivering, despite the layers of blankets on top of him and the heat from Gon’s body a couple feet from him. The tent they are sharing is small, but big enough for them both to have room to move around comfortably.

It is unbearably cold, but Gon seems to be sleeping like a baby, if his snores are any indication. Killua’s always been a light sleeper, although in recent years he’s been able to sleep through the night more often than not. It’s now become rare for Killua to wake up before Gon, who is usually up with the sunrise.

Killua sits up slowly, hugging a blanket to himself tightly. The movement causes Gon to stir and grumble sleepily. Gon rolls over, closer to Killua, and throws his arm around Killua’s waist.

He goes still at Gon’s touch; even his shivering stops. The past few months have been…a little odd between them, to say the least. That summer, on a blistering hot day, Gon had randomly wanted to kiss Killua. The memory of that day causes a light blush to form on his cheeks and warms the pit of his belly. He wasn’t sure why Gon had suddenly wanted to kiss him, but he certainly didn’t complain.

Killua had realized that his feelings for Gon had transformed into something besides that of friendship during the years they had been separated. It hit him like a ton of bricks one morning, while he and Alluka were on a train to their next destination—he was _in love_ with Gon.

By the time he and Gon met up again, he had accepted these feelings and allowed them to fade and fizzle out; it had been a while since they’d last seen each other, after all. However, it wasn’t long after their reunion that the feelings returned, even stronger than before—and even harder to hide, different than when they were just kids.

Hands brushed, and Killua swore he felt electricity lingering in his fingertips. They went swimming and Killua’s eyes furtively glanced at Gon’s muscled figure a little more often than necessary. He would catch Gon’s eyes on him and felt his heart pound a little deeper, a little faster at what that might mean. Everyday, he found himself wanting to hold Gon and never let him go.

The day that Gon kissed him felt like a dream. They never really talked about it after that, but there had been a handful of times that Gon pulled him aside to kiss him again. Every time it happened, Killua felt his heart constrict more and more. Kissing Gon was like nothing he’d ever experienced before—exhilarating, yet terrifying at the same time.

Killua doesn’t understand why Gon kept kissing him. Although, he isn’t stupid; he can only assume that Gon found him attractive in some way or another, and it’s not like Gon kissed anybody else like that either. While part of Killua is over the moon at the thought of Gon finding him attractive, the other part of him—the part of him that’s somehow simultaneously selfish and self-doubting—wants more, but is scared that Gon doesn’t. After all, attraction doesn’t equal love.

He sighs, slightly disappointed in himself for getting all worked up over a simple touch. He carefully places a hand on Gon’s shoulder, reveling in the warmth for but a moment before suddenly shaking Gon, almost violently. Anything less might not be enough to wake him up.

“Oi, Gon,” he says. “Wake up.”

Gon sniffles and opens his eyes slowly to meet Killua’s. A crooked smile slants across his lips. “Good morning, Killua.” Gon’s hold on his waist tightens slightly.

Killua ignores the silly skip he feels in his heart— _you’re a pro Hunter, idiot, get ahold of yourself_ —and says, “Let’s get going. It’s freezing.”

“Ehh?” Gon practically crawls into Killua’s lap, curled into a ball like a loyal lap dog. “But it’s so comfy!”

Killua can’t deny that Gon’s warmth feels good, but he’s afraid he might spontaneously combust if this continues for much longer. “We’ve got a ways to go if we’re gonna make it to Yorknew today.”

The pair had set up camp the night before on the way to a town, where they’re supposed to catch a train to Yorknew City. Killua had been slightly opposed, but Gon said it’d be fun, and they hadn’t camped out in a while. Sitting around a fire that night helped keep the cold away and Killua had to admit that it was fun. They stayed up a little too late, telling stories, cooking their dinner over the fire, having a contest to see who could hold their hand over the fire the longest (Killua won, of course). This morning, though, with the fire long dead, isn’t quite so jolly.

“That’s no fun,” Gon mumbles from his newfound bed in Killua’s lap. “Just a little bit longer.”

Rolling his eyes, Killua resigns himself, knowing there’s not much he can do. “Five minutes,” he says.

“Mmm, yay!” Gon snuggles into Killua’s lap even more and it’s all Killua can do to not melt right then and there.

He lazily begins running his hand through Gon’s hair, the way Gon sometimes does to him. His heart is about to beat out of his chest. But like this, he can let his imagination run a little bit. Like this, it feels like they’re a real couple. Like this, he can pretend that Gon wants the same thing he does.

* * *

  
They quickly pack up their camp and set off not long after. The landscape around them is snowy and glittery in the sun, and their footprints leave gaping holes in the powdery snow. They throw a snowball or two at each other, and Killua revels in Gon’s bright, ringing laugh every time. The cold still seeps into his bones like poison, but at least the sun is almost fully out now.

They reach town and board the train to Yorknew without incident. As they get onto the train, Killua feels his body relishing the warmth from the heater and sighs contently as they get into their seats.

“Your cheeks are all red, Killua,” Gon points out matter-of-factly. “I didn’t notice earlier.”

Killua reaches a hand up to his cheeks and feels the warmth there. “Yeah, I’m pretty cold. Not everyone is a walking heater like you.” He narrows his eyes accusatorily at Gon.

Gon laughs, scratching the back of his head apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t think about that.” He looks a little more closely at Killua, and Killua feels the blush on his cheeks deepen for other reasons. “It’s cute, though, so I’m not that sorry. I’m glad I got to see it.”

Killua does everything he can to ignore his now blaring heartbeat and rolls his eyes, turning his face away from Gon. “You really have no shame, huh?”

“No, not when it comes to Killua.” Gon giggles, and looks out the window.

He’s not sure whether it’s the cold outside or the warmth that’s been in his heart since this morning, when Gon was snuggled up in his lap, that’s short-circuiting his brain, but something possesses Killua to ask, “Why?”

Gon’s eyes are back on him, a little wide—he clearly wasn’t expecting a response to his statement. “Why what?”

Killua regrets speaking up, but decides to press on. “Why…do you not get embarrassed when it comes to me? Do you get embarrassed about other people?” Suddenly, the thought of Gon telling anyone besides Killua that they’re cute enters his mind and stains his mood darker.

“Hmm,” Gon hums out, and puts his fist under his chin in thought. “I don’t really get embarrassed about anything I say to anyone, I guess.”

Killua nods slowly, feeling his mood sour even more. “Yeah, that’s kinda what I figured. You say some really embarrassing stuff sometimes, though.” He turns his head to look away, out the window.

“I’m just giving people my honest feelings. So what do I have to be ashamed of?” He pauses. “But Killua is the only one I say stuff like _that_ to.”

Killua glances back at him, keeping his head facing the window to feign nonchalance as much as possible. “Stuff like what?”

“Y’know, stuff about how cute you are! And how much I want to kiss you!”

He facepalms, partly in an attempt to hide his now beet-red face and partly out of exasperation. “You can’t keep saying stuff like that, idiot.”

“Why not? Like I said, it’s just my honest feelings.”

“Yeah, but that still doesn’t make it a normal thing to say about your friend.” Killua is panicking; the last thing he wants is to convince Gon to stop saying those things, but he’s far too embarrassed to say anything else.

“Oh, is it not?” Gon again resumes his thinking pose and narrows his eyes in concentration. “Do you not like when I say things like that?”

Since their reunion, Gon has taken to asking Killua for his feelings on things he finds important, instead of running ahead based on his own feelings. Killua has also gotten better at telling Gon what he’s feeling, but this subject has always been hard for him to bring up.

“It’s not that, it’s just…” Killua doesn’t know what it is, honestly. Perhaps he’s afraid that Gon’s feelings go no further than his words—Killua is cute, he wants to kiss Killua. Not so much about being with Killua in the way that he wants.

“Y’know…” Gon begins, eyes widening like he’s just discovered something. “You’ve never kissed me first. Do you not like kissing me?”

When Gon’s eyes meet his, he can see a hint of something in them—fear? sadness? anger?—but can’t stop the panic that flares up in his own.

“Um, I mean— That’s not— I don’t—” Killua can’t think. He’s stuck now, and he knows it. Either he admits his feelings for Gon—and he knows that once he starts, he won’t be able to stop, and he’s sure that his feelings for Gon run far deeper than Gon’s do—or he lies. Neither option seems ideal to Killua.

The analytical side of Killua’s brain always seems to shut off when it comes to his feelings for Gon. He doesn’t know what the safest thing to say is here. If he tells the truth, he might lose whatever it is he and Gon have going—the last thing he wants is to scare Gon away with his feelings. If he lies, he knows that would upset Gon as well; Gon clearly wants to kiss Killua, or else he wouldn’t have done it in the first place.

“I just…” he starts again.

“It’s okay, Killua,” Gon says. “I get it.”

He looks at Gon slowly. Gon is turned away again, facing the window. His mouth is set in a hard line. Killua sees the scenery outside—snowy, clear, bright—reflected in his eyes as the train continues to push on.

“No, Gon, I—”

“Killua, it’s fine. I won’t do it anymore,” Gon bites out. “I’m really sorry.”

“Gon, I just—”

“I _said_ it’s fine. I get it, Killua. I’m really sorry.”

Gon’s tone takes Killua by surprise. He can see the thinly-veiled emotions on his friend’s face, and Killua knows it’s taking him everything to not let those emotions bubble up to the surface, like trying to control the flow of blazing-hot lava. This is not the place to talk about this, Killua knows.

Not typically the one to make the first move, he struggles to stretch out a hand and place it softly on Gon’s knee, as reassuringly as he can. Either Gon doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, as he continues to just look out the window silently.

Killua sighs and decides to give Gon time to cool off.

* * *

  
The rest of the train ride is silent. They arrive in Yorknew silently, and make the voyage to their hotel silently. Killua knew Gon was upset, but this was more than he was expecting.

_And it’s your fault, you idiot_ , he can’t help but think. _If you could just be more open about your feelings._

It’s easier said than done, Killua realizes. He hasn’t admitted his feelings to anyone besides Alluka, and just telling her was painful. Similar to extracting Illumi’s needle from his head, pulling the truth out was excruciating in every sense of the word.

That is why Alluka is the first person that comes to mind when Gon leaves their hotel room—again, silently. Killua sighs and grabs his phone, dialing the number he knows by heart and stepping onto the hotel balcony.

The cold outside is still bone-deep, but Killua takes it as his punishment for hurting Gon. As the phone rings in his ear, he wonders where Gon went and whether or not he could see him from the balcony. He leans against the railing of the balcony.

The ringing stops. “Helloooo?” he hears on the other end.

“Hey,” he chirps out, already feeling better at the sound of her voice.

“Onii-chan, what are you doing? It’s not Wednesday.” They have a weekly scheduled phone call every Wednesday to catch up and so Killua can make sure she is safe. She is with Bisky, so he doesn’t have to worry too much, but he can’t help it. She’s his little sister, after all.

“I know, I know. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

She giggles. “That’s sweet and all, but you sound a little down. What’s wrong? Where’s Gon?”

_Of course, that’s the first thing she asks_. “Eh, why would you say that? I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

Silence for a beat, then, “Onii-chan, don’t lie to me. Lying is bad, y’know.”

He sighs, knowing it’s a lost cause; he can’t lie to Alluka to save his life. “Yeah, yeah. I, uh…don’t know where Gon is. He left a minute ago.”

“Why?”

“He’s a little mad at me, I think.”

“Why?” she repeats, a sterner edge to her voice this time.

Killua groans, shoving his face down into his arm. “I may have…kinda…messed up a little bit.”

“How?” Again, that stern voice. But her patience and refusal to give up is part of the reason he’s able to tell her anything, even if it takes him a little while to get it out.

“Well, I don’t remember exactly how it got to this, but Gon was asking me if…I liked kissing him or not.”

Killua had told Alluka what had happened the day after their first kiss, ecstatic beyond belief. Every time they kissed, Alluka got a phone call from her brother, whose voice always recounted the incidents longingly.

“And? What’d you say?”

“Well…I didn’t really answer.” The other side is silent for an uncomfortably long moment. “And so he’s kinda mad at me,” he continues finally, “and I think he thinks that I don’t like kissing him.”

Alluka clears her throat. “Let me get this straight, onii-chan. The love of your life straight up asks you if you like kissing him, and instead of just giving him a simple yes, you say nothing.”

“I mean, when you put it like that—”

“You really are an _idiot_ , onii-chan!” Killua flinches at the rage dripping from her voice. “I mean, you literally had a golden opportunity and you throw it away!”

“Well, I know that if I had said yes, I would’ve just started blabbing about my feelings and stuff! I didn’t know what the safest thing to say was!”

“The safest?! Onii-chan, I wish I were there right now so I could knock some sense into you.” She takes a deep breath, holds it, and then lets it out loudly. “You still haven’t gotten over that fully, have you?”

“Gotten over what?”

“Sometimes, the safest thing to do isn’t necessarily the best thing to do. _Especially_ when it comes to love. Sometimes, you have to put yourself out there in order to be really happy. Gon put himself out there the first time he kissed you, didn’t he?”

Killua stops for a moment to think. He never considered that—that Gon could’ve been scared of what Killua would say back then. Gon has always seemed so confident and sure of himself, no matter what, but Gon didn’t know that Killua was head over heels for him. So Gon really had put himself out there by asking to kiss Killua that first time.

“I guess,” he grumbles.

“You have to be honest with Gon. Whether he feels the same way or not, you’ll never get anywhere by bottling up your feelings for him. You should know that by now.”

He sighs. “You’re right, you’re right.” He remembers when he and Gon were younger, and how much keeping his feelings quiet hurt both of them back then. “When did you get so wise?”

Alluka giggles. “My big brother did a pretty good job at raising me. But sometimes, it’s hard to see clearly when it comes to things that you’re really close to.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He remembers how much clarity Palm had given him, and hopes he doesn’t make a similar mistake now.

“Besides, I think there’s a pretty slim chance that your feelings aren’t reciprocated, onii-chan.”

“Why do you think that?” Even the thought of Gon returning his feelings brings a blush to Killua’s cheeks. He almost rolls his eyes at himself— _get it together, man_.

“Because he’s made out with you more times than I can count in the past few months. You don’t do that with someone you just have platonic feelings towards.”

Killua chuckles. “You think so?”

“Duh.”

Killua smiles, but tries not to get his hopes up too much at his sister’s words. “Thanks, Alluka.”

“No problem, onii-chan. I’ll talk to you Wednesday, okay?”

“Yeah, sounds good. Tell Nanika I say hi. And Bisky, too.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too.” The line clicks, and then silence.

_She’s growing up way too fast_ , he thinks. But he’s forever grateful to her, for more than just this instance.

He stands on the balcony for a moment or two, head still hung down into his crossed arms on the balcony railing. He groans loudly, trying to keep his sister’s words in his head as he lifts his phone up again and begins dialing Gon’s number.

The phone rings for a while. Killua has zero intention of leaving a voicemail, so he is about to hang up when he thinks the phone has rung for the last time. But then he hears the line click.

“What’s up?” Gon’s voice chimes out from the phone. His tone is sour, but at least he answered.

“Hey. Where are you?”

“Um. I don’t know.” He can tell Gon is telling the truth. He wonders if Gon has been walking around aimlessly this whole time. “South side of the city.”

Killua thinks for a minute. “Do you wanna meet me in the park?” That’s probably half-way between the hotel and where Gon’s at, since Killua has little interest in sitting around the hotel waiting for Gon to get back.

Gon is silent for a minute. “Sure. It’s cold out, though.”

Killua smiles. His replies may be terse, but Gon is still looking out for him. “That’s alright. Let’s meet at the park.”

“Okay.”

“I’m leaving the hotel now.”

“Okay.”

The phone is silent for a second, neither of them speaking. But Killua knows Gon hasn’t hung up yet. He hears Gon inhale sharply, as if he’s about to say something, but hears nothing after except the line click. Then the dial tone.

Killua makes his way out of the hotel and decides to walk to the park. As much as he hates the cold, it’s helping to clear his head a little. Plus, he’s got a lot of courage to work up, so he needs all the time he can get.

Around him, the city bustles with cars and pedestrians. Yorknew is a huge city, but with the snow coating the ground and the tops of buildings and trees, it feels a bit homier. Killua watches his feet sink into the snow with every step. The sidewalk has clearly been traversed many times since the snow fell, as there are countless footprints stamped into the slush. Something about that makes Killua feel a little bit better.

The park is different than the last time he saw it. There are only a handful of people at it now, as the trees are long dead and everything is covered in snow. He remembers the picnic they’d had with Leorio and Kurapika at that park, so long ago.

He spots Gon, and is surprised Gon was able to make it there so quickly. Killua is shivering now and knows it’s not just from the cold. He makes his way over to Gon.

Gon notices him and meets him halfway. He seems to be in a better mood than earlier, Killua notices. There is no frown set like stone on his mouth, but his eyes are more guarded than usual.

“Hey,” Killua bites out past his shivering teeth.

“Hey.” Gon avoids eye contact with him.

They are both silent for a minute, and Killua wonders if it’s ever been this awkward with the two of them. The air between them drips heavy with unspoken words and emotions too deep to say out loud.

Killua decides it’s now or never, and takes a deep breath. “Gon, I—”

“I’m sorry, Killua.”

Killua looks at Gon, whose eyes are trained on the ground. “What?” he asks, unsure if he heard correctly.

“I’m sorry I kept kissing you. I thought you were okay with it, but being okay with it doesn’t mean the same thing as liking it. I should’ve been more careful of your feelings.”

“Oh.” That’s not what Killua was expecting. “Gon, it’s really okay.”

“No, it’s not. Just because I wanted to do it doesn’t mean I should’ve forced you into anything you didn’t want to do. I should’ve tried to understand your feelings more.”

“Gon, it’s _really_ okay.” Killua brought him all the way out here to tell him his feelings, and this is what happens? “I promise, it’s more than okay.”

“It’s not!” Gon finally looks up at him, eyes serious and wide and honest in a way that never ceases to surprise Killua. “I promised myself I’d be better than that. That I would never do anything like that to you again. But I just couldn’t help it, I wanted to kiss you so badly. I couldn’t stop myself. I mean, you always look so cute, and you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and I never want to be apart from you. But I never noticed until today that _I_ was always the one to kiss you, and not the other way around. I’m sorry I didn’t consider your feelings—”

“Gon, stop!” This is more than Killua can bear. He feels guilt crushing his chest, making it hard to breath. Gon doesn’t have a clue how Killua feels. “It’s not like that. I mean…I don’t…” He really is an idiot. He knows what he has to say, and whether Gon reciprocated his feelings or not, he’s sure it’d make Gon feel less guilty.

They’re quiet for a minute. Killua feels Gon’s eyes on him.

“You look really cold, Killua,” he says.

“It’s cold as balls out here,” Killua grits out. He can’t stop shivering, but he knows it has a lot more to do with his nervousness than the cold.

He is shocked into stillness when he feels Gon take his hand. He feels that familiar electricity he always gets when Gon touches him, so different from the electrical shock of his Nen abilities or the torture his family put him through. This kind of electricity is pleasant.

He looks at Gon, and his heart aches when see a soft smile on the other boy’s face. “It’s okay, Killua. I won’t do anything like that ever again unless I know it’s something you want.”

It’s too much. The cold, the feel of Gon’s hand, Gon’s smile, the memory of Gon’s lips. It’s all too much. Killua can’t think anymore. _It’s too much_.

Despite the shrieking in his brain, Killua lurches himself forward—towards Gon—and plants his lips firmly on Gon’s, fluttering his eyes closed. His heart is beating painfully loud in his ears, but he does everything he can to ignore that and focus on Gon.

Gon, who is scarily still. Gon, who is like a stone against Killua. _Oh no_ , Killua thinks as he pulls away.

He isn’t able to pull back very far before Gon’s hand snakes around his back and pushes him forward again. Gon pulls him into another kiss, this one far deeper than the last. Killua can’t stop his hands from wrapping around Gon’s neck to bring him closer as he feels Gon’s warmth. Their lips are both cold, but Killua finds he doesn’t mind.

Gon’s hand is heavy against his back, but he has to pull away for a breath of air. Leaning his forehead against Gon’s as he catches his breath, he feels Gon’s gaze on his face. He can’t summon the courage to look back quite yet.

_It’s now or never_ , he thinks again. “Gon, I like kissing you,” he mumbles. Killua’s heartbeat somehow strengthens, and he knows his face is red beyond recognition. “If it were up to me, we’d kiss every day. More than once every day.” He chuckles to give himself a minute to collect his thoughts. “I’m…afraid you don’t feel the same way as me. So I’ve kept quiet about my feelings. But…we both know that’s a recipe for disaster.”

They both let out a breathy laugh, laced with bitter memories that continue to color the nature of their relationship to this day. Killua can’t let that happen again.

“Gon, I love you.” _Oh god, he said it_. He feels Gon stiffen against him. Well, there’s no going back now. “Like, as a friend, but also more than a friend. Like, I _like_ you, y’know?” He wants to die. How old are they, twelve? “I want to hold your hand when we walk down the street, and kiss you good morning and good night, and get to tell you I love you all the time.”

He is surprised Gon has stayed quiet this long. Panic bubbles up in his chest, unbidden and unwanted. “I’m really sorry if this messes up our friendship. I know you probably don’t feel the same, but I just don’t think I can keep it inside anymore. I didn’t know if I could keep kissing you without telling you how I really feel.”

The silence between them is painful. Killua has begun shivering again, despite the warmth of Gon’s body pressed against him. _Aah, well…_ Killua thinks, _I guess I really messed this one up._

Suddenly, Gon barks out a laugh. And then another. And then another. And then, he’s laughing so hard that Killua has to back away from him. Gon clutches his stomach, he’s laughing so hard.

“What?” Killua crosses his arms defensively. That’s certainly not what he was expecting.

“I thought…you were…the smart one, Killua!” Gon gets out in between laughs.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” He feels his cheeks warming from embarrassment.

Gon’s laughter subsides, leaving a soft smile in its wake on his lips. He looks at Killua for a moment, before reaching up to put his hands on either of Killua’s shoulders.

“Of course I love you, Killua!” And at that, Killua feels his heart drop down to his feet, before picking back up its frantic pace. “I’m sorry if that wasn’t obvious. It wasn’t obvious to me until that first time I kissed you, but I figured me wanting to kiss you all the time was enough to let you know. I guess I need to make it even more obvious in the future, though.”

“You…what?” Killua’s mind is a little hazy, and he’s certain he’s heard wrong.

“I guess maybe I should’ve said something a while ago,” Gon mumbles to himself. “But Killua is so smart, and you’re the only person I ever want to kiss, so I thought you knew. My bad.”

Killua can’t believe it. Gon…loves him? He remembers what Alluka says earlier and again wants to roll his eyes at himself. All of that worry, over nothing.

He chuckles, shaking his head incredulously. “No, it’s my bad too. I should’ve told you my own feelings a lot sooner.”

“Hey, that’s true!” Gon glares at him playfully.

“I didn’t think you’d feel the same way.” Killua shrugs.

He giggles. “How could I not love you, Killua? You’re my best friend in the whole world. There’s no one else I want more than you.”

Killua turns away, groaning loudly at the blush that seems permanently glued to his cheeks. “Like I said, you’re way too open about that stuff!”

Gon laughs again. “Apparently, I’m not open enough about it! And neither are you, Killua!”

“You’re probably right about that.” He snickers, but looks seriously at Gon. “I’m going to keep trying to be more open about my feelings, Gon.”

Gon smiles widely before grabbing Killua’s hands. “Ne, Killua…” Killua raises his eyebrows at Gon. “I really wanna kiss you. Is that okay?”

He mirrors Gon’s smile, but looks away shyly. Being as open as Gon isn't something that'll just happen overnight, after all, but he swears to himself to keep working on it. But he manages to get out, “Yeah. I wanna kiss you too.”

Their lips meet in the middle. Killua puts all of his feelings into the kiss—he hopes his feelings reach Gon, he hopes he can convey all the things he didn't say out loud. And he's excited at the chance to have every day to continue to show Gon how he feels.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you couldn't tell, this was meant to be a much more introspective work than 108 Degrees, since it's from Killua's POV and Killua is a much more introspective character, while Gon tends to act on his feelings more (at least by my analyzation of them lol). So sorry if you were looking for some more make-out action in this one! Maybe next time...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


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